Germany Wins The World Cup With A Goal In The 113th Minute

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In a game full of missed opportunities, substitute Mario Gotze controlled a cross with his chest, poked a shot at the goalkeeper, and won the 2014 World Cup for Germany with a 113th-minute goal.

The final score line: Germany 1, Argentina 0 in extra time.

Germany is the first European team to win a World Cup on South American soil. It's their fourth title.

The Gotze goal that won it:

REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

It will be a game that haunts Argentina for a long, long time. Both teams had multiple chances, but none of them were finished until Gotze's poke with seven minutes to play.

It could have been different.

Gonzalo Higuain found himself all alone in front of the goal in the 21st minute, but ripped a shot well wide of the goal. A few minutes later, Higuain put it in the back of the net and ran around celebrating before realizing the offside flag was up.

A few minutes before the halftime whistle, Germany's Benedikt Howedes had a free header 6 yards from goal and bashed it against the post.

The second half lacked the excitement of the first, but the chances still came. Lionel Messi tried to go far post with his left foot — the type of goal we've seen him score again and again for Barcelona — but curled it wide. Later German'y Toni Kroos ran onto a perfect pass at the top of the box and skimmed it wide.

In extra time, Rodrigo Palacio had a chance to chip Manuel Neuer but popped it up and out of play.

After the Gotze goal, Argentina's chances ran out.

Messi had a free kick in the 122nd minute from about 40 yards out. It would have been one of the great goals of all time. But, it went over the bar.

This was Germany's World Cup. They were the best, most complete team in the tournament, and that 7-1 win over Brazil was one of the best single performances in World Cup history.